The Wright Brothers: The Invention that Changed the World

By: Melody Ip

2004-2005

1867

Wilbur is born

1871

Orville is born

1900

Wrights begin creating the airplanes

1902

Wrights created first controllable aircraft in world

1903

Wrights made four short flights with powered airplane

1904

Flew first complete circle

Timeline

1905

Experimental period ended

1908

Wilbur and Orville let the world know about their invention

1910

Wrights offered first airplane model

1912

Wilbur dies of typhoid fever

1915

Orville sells Wright Company

1948

Orville dies of a heart attack

Timeline Continued

Orville was born in Dayton, Ohio on August. 19, 1871. It was Wilbur’s idea to create the airplane, but Orville’s enthusiasm that carried them through the difficult technical problems.

Orville

•Born on April.16, 1867 on a farm 8 mi. from New Indian Castle.

Wilbur

•Could isolate himself and “shut out the world” when he chose.

3 problems-

• a set of lifting surfaces of wings

•a method of balancing & controlling the aircraft

•a means of propulsion

Used wing warping to fix some problems

Researching and Problems

Wing Warping

•Wing warping is when you twist (or warp) the actual wing structure.

•If wing on one side met on coming flow of air at greater angle than opposite wing, it would generate more lift causing airplane to bank

•Created biplane and tested it

•Biplane responded quickly and precisely to Wilbur’s commands

•Began to build a full sized glider after the biplane proved successful.

1900

•Recorded data from wind tunnel on scraps of wallpaper

•tested as many as 200 wing shapes

1903•Dec. 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk with powered airplane

•Called it the Wright Flyer

1904-1905• Wrights perfected airplane at this time

• No one knew they had created the airplane

• In fall of 1905, experimental period ended

1906-1907• Aeronautical activity picked up significantly during these years

• Europeans made several short flights in 1906-1907

1908

• Debated the sale of the aircraft in 1908

•In August, Wilbur made first public flight of airplane in France

•Made more than 200 flights in Europe over the year of 1908

1909•On Oct 4, 1909 Wilbur made a 20 mi. flight up the Hudson River to Grant’s Tomb and back in 33 min

•Biggest homecoming celebration Wrights had was at Dayton

1910-1911

•Artists, writers, and composers got inspiration in aviation

•There were many images of the Wrights-not all of them flattering

1912•Tired and stressed out, Wilbur contracted typhoid fever and died at age 45 on May 30

•Was front page news all over thew world

•During the funeral, all activities in Dayton stopped

1920-1930

• During this time, lots of memorials were built were the Wrights had worked or flown

•Grandest one was erected at Kitty Hawk in 1932

1912-1948•The spark in Orville seemed to die with Wilbur

•Died at age 76 on Jan 29, 1948

•Lived his later life as the elder statesman of aviation and a folk hero

Me!

I was born on Aug. 24, 1992 in Northern

California. When I was 1, we moved to New Jersey

and when I was 4, we moved back to Southern

California. In Christmas of 2003, I moved back to the east coast-North Carolina. When I lived in Southern California, I lived in the

L.A. county.

I love horses and dogs though I

don’t have a dog of my own. In the Chinese Zodiac, I was born in the

year of the monkey-very like

me!

Bibliography•World Book, 2003 edition. The Wright Brothers. April. 25, 2005

•Website: http://www.nasm.si.edu/wrightbrothers/ April 27, 2005

•The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane. Russell Freedman.Holiday House, New York. April 27, 2005